An accused Jesuit is in limbo in Florida. He’s a Chicago transplant, to New Orleans, where he headed Loyola U. there. Egad! He was a university president, for God’s sake!
The Chicago Jesuits have given him the bum’s rush and said they are OK with him being out of pocket.
He was a 2003 case. So was the convicted and sentenced, free while appealing Donald McGuire, also of Chicago, who was told only recently to stop wearing the collar, says Sun-Times.
I have heard a Chicago Province Jesuit rail against “the media” from an Oak Park pulpit within the past year, while otherwise pulling out the stops to good effect in a parish “mission.” Would he and other churchmen prefer a veil of silence?
Here’s most of the Sun-Times story:
The Chicago Jesuits list the Rev. Bernard Knoth, once a star in Catholic education, as “absent with permission.”
He’s been working in the secular business world in Sarasota, Fla., since the Jesuits ruled four years ago that a child abuse accusation was “credible.”
Knoth, 58, works for Global Recruiters Network, which isn’t a Jesuit company. His corporate bio reads, “After leaving Loyola in 2003, Bernie decided on a career change.”
As if he had a choice. [Tone bad here, unfortunately]
The Jesuits forced the Chicago native to resign as president of Loyola University in New Orleans. He had formerly worked at schools in Chicago, Indianapolis and Washington, D.C.
Knoth denies the abuse, which the Jesuits said happened in 1986. He remains a priest and a Jesuit, though barred from public ministry or wearing priest’s garb.
When asked by the Chicago Sun-Times this week whether he’ll remain a priest, Knoth was noncomittal.
“We’ve talked about it,” he said.
The Jesuits said Wednesday that Knoth is living on his own, but wouldn’t discuss the terms of his leave or whether he’s being monitored.
“For the Jesuits to allow a known child molester to live without any kind of monitoring or treatment sets up children for abuse,” said Barbara Blaine of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
Blithe Spirit 
I don’t always agree with Ms. Blaine, but in this case I must. What are the Jesuits thinking? Perhaps he is being monitored, and they just don’t want to discuss it. Hope that’s true. Doesn’t Florida have laws about sex offenders checking in with authorities?
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Bernie Knoth was not convicted by any criminal court, therefore he is not subject to monitoring by the legal system. His alleged offense is now beyond the reach of the law due to the statute of limitations at the time in 1986 within the State of Indiana. I understand the statute of limitations has changed since then.
What I remember about him since I graduated from the school (1985) he was principal at, he worked on running a tight ship but also even from the “rumor mills”, I have not heard of “anything improper” he did with the kids. If he committed the alleged offense, it is sad for everyone since he was a person most of the kids looked up to and respected. Usually when this type in impropriety happens, it goes beyond just one person being molested. If there has been other cases of abuse, no one else has stepped forward so far. What I understand there was some bad politics between Bernie and others within the Chicago Province.
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I find it hard to believe you heard nothing about Father Knoth’s constant pressuring of male students to “come to my office.” That a-hole made me so uncomfortable every time he was within 10 feet of me. I have very vivid memories of Father Knoth asking me to come to his office every time he could corner me in the cafeteria. Over the years after leaving Brebeuf, I heard more than one specific story about how his “thing” was to perform oral sex on any guy he could get into his office and was willing. I have always reflected about how glad I am to have seen through what he was trying to do and never went to his office. Initially, I was fooled into thinking he was wanting me to come to his office to talk to me about how being gay was wrong, since I wasn’t very discrete, by 80’s standards anyway.
During freshman orientation overnight, I was in Mr. E’s algebra room, not yet asleep and Father Knoth was patrolling the hallways, he got to the door and saw me sort of tossing and turning. He then stood there staring directly at me for probably five minutes. Just staring… so creepy. I could tell then there was something dark going on with him.
My brother and other baseball team members would joke about his constant hitting on the boys as well. I was only at Brebeuf for one year, but would have finished in 1985 had I stayed. I am gay, and had a long-time friendship with another teacher there who is also gay, but no longer at Brebeuf (you can easily guess who he is). Our friendship never had any sort of sexual pressure or inappropriate behavior. It has nothing to do with Father Knoth being drawn to the young men that I witnessed, but the constant pressure and trying to trick students into coming to his office and abusing his status as a principal and religious leader.
Lastly, it took me about three minutes to type this, because I’ve been telling this story for twenty years; it’s not going to change.
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Lots of people close to this thing have told me that Knoth had enemies in the Chicago Province, and also that considerable pressure was applied to a young man to allege misconduct. The whole thing is quite dubious. Unfortunately many people in groups like SNAP have adopted the position that allegations equal guilt.
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I must say the province-politics allegations bother me. This is the second such in this context. Not sure what to make of them, could use some enlightening.
jimbowman at ameritech.net is my address.
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I was a student at Loyola in the mid-1990s, there was no hint of anything improper during his time at Loyola. There were rumors about a few other priests, but everyone involved would have been an adult.
Many in the Loyola community believe Bernie was not guilty of these allegations.
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